guidelines for training, 201–18
and hedonic calendaring, 213
as improving performance, 5
and information technology, 186
and learning, 219–22
misuse/dangers of, 181–200
and open-sourcing ecstasis, 200
pharmacology and, 119
and technology, 152, 153
nootropics, 176
norepinephrine, 16, 20–21, 24, 42, 44, 141, 217
North Face (Aiguille-du-Midi mountain): skiing on, 209–10
NSOC. See nonordinary states of consciousness
Nuremberg rallies, 69
Nutt, David, 60–61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 124–25
Obama, Barack, 160, 171
Obscura Digital, 143
The Obstacle Is the Way (Holiday), 205–6
Oculus (company), 145
O’Keeffe, Georgia, 168
OMing (orgasmic meditation), 82, 83, 200
On the Road (Kerouac), 189
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Kesey), 188
OneTaste, 81–83, 200
online
and downloading drugs, 132–34
experience reports, 128–29
open-sourcing ecstasis, 128–29, 184–85, 187, 200
opium, 119
The Opposable Mind (Martin), 47, 92
Oprah and Eckhart: A New Earth (video series), 75
The Oracle (Ellison catamaran), 219–20
“orgasmic meditation,” 82, 83, 200
Orwell, George, 199
OS (operating system), 112–14, 202
Osteen, Joel, 80
out-of-body experiences, 108, 190
Outside magazine, 13, 89
OxyContin, 29
oxytocin, 20–21, 24, 42, 45, 85, 141, 217
Page, Larry, 18–22, 152, 157, 161
Pahnke, Walter, 58–59
Pale
beyond the, 51–52, 67, 84
and hiding of Stealing Fire revolution, 67
importance of understanding the, 52
as protection, 69
and sex, 84
See also specific Pale
Pale of the Body, 52, 56–60
Pale of the Church, 52–55
Pale of the State, 52, 60–65, 67, 69
Palo Alto Neuroscience, 59–60
Pandora, 222
Parker, Warby, 171
Pearlington, Mississippi: Burners in, 165
Pencils of Promise (Summit project), 171
The Pentagon’s Brain (Jacobsen), 182
Persinger, Michael, 59
personal development, 29–30, 153. See also specific program
Peru: earthquake in, 165
peyote, 118–19
pharmaceuticals, 50, 59. See also pharmacology; specific pharmaceutical
pharmacology
advantages/benefits of, 74, 119, 134, 178, 179
altering consciousness with, 115–19
and animals, 115–19
and Carhart-Harris research, 124–26
cognition and, 119
and consciousness, 115–19
and culture, 118–19, 123, 134, 153
in everyday lives, 176–77
evolution and, 117–19, 134
as force for ecstasis, 74, 115–34
and geography, 118, 119, 123, 134, 153
and molecules of desire, 132–34
mysticism and, 128, 129
open-source approach to, 128–29
power of, 153
and Shulgin research, 119–23
and synthetic drugs, 132–34
and visions, 126–32
phenethylamines, 122
philanthropy, 171, 174
PiHKAL (Shulgin), 122, 123, 128
Pike, Zebulon, 203–4, 205
Pine, Joe, 195
pipers, Hamelin, 65–66, 67, 69
Planned Parenthood, 82–83
Plato, 2, 11, 168
PlayaGon, 164, 192
Playboy: Hsieh comments in, 161–62
pleasure system, brain, 183, 191
Plutarch, 1
Pol Pot, 69
politics: and marketing, 198
Pollan, Michael, 59, 118, 134
pornography, 30–31, 84
positive psychology, 175
Postman, Neil, 199
Potter, Dean, 135–36, 137, 139
Powder magazine: Ludwig comments about skiing in, 209
Powder Mountain. See Summit
“Power of Now”, Tolle’s, 76
pragmatic philosophy, 78–79
prayer, 57, 108, 109, 147
precognition, 103–6, 111
prefrontal cortex, 24, 37, 38, 40, 45, 48, 151, 196, 203, 204
present: and timelessness, 40, 41
Price, Dick, 78–79, 81
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Strick comments in, 99
processed food, 212–13
productivity: and solving wicked problems, 50
Prometheus, 3–4, 221–22. See also accidental Prometheans
protect-our-seas (Summit trip), 171
Prozac, 88
psilocybin, 58, 88, 121, 125
psychedelics
and Altered States Economy, 29
and altered states to altered traits, 92
availability of, 132–33
and brain, 20, 124–26
and Burning Man, 159
Carhart-Harris research on, 124–26
and categories of ecstasis, 23–24
in everyday lives, 176–77
and hedonic calendaring, 214
making of, 132–33
in 1960s, 188
online downloading of, 132–33
and Pale of the Body, 57, 58, 60
and sex, 85
Shulgin research on, 119–23
and solving wicked problems, 49–50
and stealing kykeon, 5
technology and, 136
and training for nonordinary states, 203, 207–8
West Coast culture of, 189
See also specific psychedelic
psychiatric counseling, 30
psychological counseling, 30
Psychological Science magazine: and Aaeker-Rudd timelessness study, 40–41
psychology
and altered states to altered traits, 90–93
benefits of, 74, 95, 153, 178, 179
and creativity, 153
in everyday lives, 174–75
as force of ecstasis, 73–93
and human potential movement, 76, 77–81
limitations of, 114
longitudinal research in, 92
and NDEs, 87–88, 89–90
and personal development, 153
positive, 91, 175
and PTSD, 76, 88–90
relationship between neurobiology and, 95
sex and, 76, 81–86
and terminal patients, 76, 88
and translating transformation, 73–75
trauma and, 86–90, 153
See also specific person
psychopharmaceuticals, 29. See also specific pharmaceutical
PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), 76, 88–90, 100–101, 211–12
puffer nerve toxin, 116
Pythagoras, 2, 168
qigong, 175
quasi-hypnotic theta wave, 45
Questlove, 171
Rajneesh, Bhagwan Shree, 67
Rational Mysticism (Horgan), 58
rave culture (1990s), 67
RCA, 185
Re/Code (Musk), 159
Realms of the Human Unconscious: Observations from LSD Research (Grof), 124
Red Bull Air Force, 158
Red Bull Hacking Creativity project, 46
Red Bull headquarters (Santa Monica), 6
religion
and acoustics, 140–41
and communion, 73
and end of the world feeling, 204
&nbs
p; human potential movement and, 78–79
and Jerusalem Syndrome, 202–3
marketing and, 191
neurobiology and, 99–100, 106–10, 111
and neurotheology, 106–10, 111
prophetic visions and, 126–28
science and, 106–10, 148
and training for nonordinary states, 204
and transformations, 73–74
See also Mormons
Religion, Values, and Peak Experiences (Maslow), 43
Reuter, Peter, 176
revelations, ecstatic, 126–32
rewards. See Ecstasis Equation
Reznikoff, Iegor, 140–41
Rice University, 79
richness
and Carhart-Harris research, 125
and dangers/misuse of ecstasis, 193
definition of, 44
human condition and, 217
“known issues”/downsides of, 206–9
and learning, 220
open-sourcing ecstasis and, 200
as STER category, 44–46
and Tolle, 76
and training for nonordinary states, 206–9
See also STER
The Rise of Superman (Kotler), 5, 25, 135, 136, 150
Rise of Superman (video series), 135, 136, 150
risk, 136–38, 152, 153. See also Ecstasis Equation
Ritalin, 29, 56, 63–64
Rizzo, Albert “Skip,” 101, 102
Robbins, Tony, 80
Roger, Will, 162–63
Rogers, Carly, 89
Rogue Warrior (Marcinko), 14
Rosenthal, Jeff, 169–70
Rowling, J.K., 85
Ruck, Carl, 3
Rudd, Melanie, 41
Russian monks: and visionary art, 144–45
Sacks, Oliver, 128, 141
Sager, Bob, 122
Salt, Sugar, Fat (Moss), 212
salts, 212–14
Samorini, Giorgio, 117
San Francisco Chronicle: Hua comments about Burning Man in, 159
Sanders, Bernie, 160
Sandia Corporation, 184
Sanger, Margaret, 82–83
Sapolsky, Robert, 31, 85
Sawyer, Keith, 11
Schmidt, Eric, 20, 21, 157, 171
Schwable, Frank, 182, 183
Science Daily : Zeidan comments in, 48
science/scientists
“ecstatic technologies” experiments and, 5
and flow-peak performance relationship, 5
as Promethean upstarts, 4
and psychology, 76–77
and religion, 106–10, 148
See also specific person
Scientific American: and control of information technology, 185
The Scientist (Lilly), 183–84
SEALs, U.S. Navy
accelerated learning by, 27
and Al-Wazu raid, 9–12, 15–17, 23, 25
and altering mental states to enhance performance, 6, 22, 32
bonding among, 14–15
cost of, 12–17, 26
ecstasis of, 13–14, 15, 16, 17, 22–23, 25
and flow, 25
Hell Week of, 13, 19
job description for, 12–13
Kill House of, 14, 15, 25
and leadership, 14–15
macho culture of, 22–23
and Metni, 138
Mind Gym of, 26–27, 190, 192
and neurobiology, 108, 113
protocols for, 14–15
screening for, 15, 22, 26
switch of, 11–12, 14–17, 20, 25–27, 105, 138, 210
team focus of, 13–14, 16, 17
training of, 12, 13–14, 17, 22, 152
VUCA of, 13, 19
Searls, Doc, 20
Second Great Awakening, 178–79
self
and AI, 101, 102
and altered states to altered traits, 90–93
awareness of, 37–39, 147–48, 222
and Carhart-Harris research, 125
and categories of ecstasis, 23–24
and flow, 4–5
losing too much of, 68
neurobiology and, 101, 102, 108, 110
neurotheology and, 108, 110
1940s and 1950s concept of, 77
“no-,” 152–53
pharmacology and, 118, 125
psychology and, 74
and seeing self from outside, 102
and sensory deprivation tanks, 26–27
and techniques of ecstasis, 24–25
testing/experimenting on, 120, 121, 123, 184, 207
true, 102
See also self-actualization; self-development; self-talk; selflessness
self-actualization, 93
self-development
and Altered States Economy, 30
ecstasis as tool for, 93
See also specific program
self-talk, 37–38
selflessness
and AI, 102
benefits of, 38, 42
and Carhart-Harris research, 125
“known issues”/downsides of, 202–3
and learning, 220
and misuses/dangers of ecstasis, 193
and neurobiology, 102
and open-sourcing ecstasis, 200
paradox of, 39
as STER category, 37–39, 45
and Tolle, 76
and training for nonordinary states, 202–3
See also STER
Seligman, Martin, 90–91, 92, 174–75
Seligman, Nicki, 90–91, 92
sensors
and AI, 101, 102
in everyday lives, 176, 177
and Google, 27
and marketing, 197
and neurobiology, 96, 101, 102
and technology, 147, 149, 150, 151
wearable, 147, 149, 150
sensory deprivation tanks, 26–27
serotonin, 20–21, 24, 42, 45, 89, 98, 112, 141, 217
“Seven Days of Sex” challenge, 86
sex
amount of, 81
BDSM and, 84–85
and benefits of ecstasis, 222
brain pleasure system and, 183
at Burning Man, 157, 178
and categories of ecstasis, 23–24
counterculture and, 189
and hedonic calendaring, 214
human potential movement and, 79
Huxley’s views about, 199
kind of, 81–86
as kinky, 76, 81–86
online, 84
and “orgasmic meditation,” 82, 83
psychedelics and, 121
psychology and, 76, 81–86
and STER, 85
transcendent, 81–86
sexual revolution (1970s), 66–67
Sexualitics, 84
Shahar, Tal Ben, 175
Shamanism (Eliade), 57
Sheth, Anish, 85
Shirer, William, 69
Shulgin, Alexander “Sasha,” 119–25, 128, 131, 133, 145, 157–58, 184, 200, 201
Shulgin, Ann, 122, 123
Shutters Hotel (Santa Monica): meeting at, 103
Siegel, Mikey, 146–48, 150, 152, 157, 200
Siegel, Ronald K., 116, 117, 213
Silicon Valley
and Burning Man, 159, 160
and Flow Dojo, 149–50
and Promethean upstarts, 4
See also Google; specific person or company
Silva, Jason, 33–36, 38, 39, 41, 43, 44
singing, 57, 108, 141. See also chanting; music
Singularity University, 21
Ski Journal, Ulmer article in, 210
skiing, 138, 209–10, 214
skin-bag debate, 56–60
skydiving, 137–38
Slater, Kelly, 89
sleep, 87, 207
smart drugs, 56–57, 58, 60
Smith, Joseph, 126–27, 129, 130, 131, 178, 179
social media, 31
social networking, 65
Socrates, 2, 188
SolarCity, 161
soma (psychedelic), 3, 199
Sonos, 141–42
Special Forces, U.S., 4, 17. See also specific force
Spiegelhalter, David, 61
Spielberg, Steven, 103
spiritual bypassing, 216–17
spirituality
Tolle’s views about, 75
See also religion
Spithill, Jimmy, 219–20, 221
sports
Altered States Economy and, 30
“biological passports” in, 186
and ecstatic Equation, 209–11
equipment for, 195–96
hedonic calendaring and, 214
and information technology, 186
and MaiTai Global, 171, 172
and marketing, 195–96
neurobiology and, 99, 113
psychology and, 89
and risk, 136–38
technology and, 135–39, 149
See also specific sport
SSRIs. See serotonin
“St. Anthony’s Fire,” 3
Stalin, Joseph, 69
Stanford University
and Kesey-LSD story, 66, 188–89
perceptual vastness studies at, 144
Siegel courses at, 148
synthetic biology at, 133
Starbuck’s, 195
State Department, U.S., 183
stealing fire, Prometheus,’ 3–4, 221–22
Stealing Fire revolution, hiding of, 67–69
Stegner, Wallace, 188
STER (Selflessness, Timelessness, Efortlessness, Richness)
and Burning Man, 158
and Ecstasis Equation, 211
and information technology, 186
“known issues”/downsides of, 201–9
and misuse/dangers of ecstasis, 193
and open-sourcing ecstasis, 200
sex and, 85
as signature characteristics of altered states, 36–46
and Tolle, 76
and training for nonordinary states, 201–9
See also specific characteristic
Stevens, Jay, 188
Stewart, Martha, 171
Storming Heaven (Stevens), 188
Strassman, Rick, 129–30, 131
Strick, Peter, 99
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), 192
subconscious, 16, 111, 199
“subject-object shift,” 38–39
substance abuse, 62–65
sugars, 212–14
Summit, 169–71, 172, 174, 178
“super mule” project, Sandia, 184–85
superstition, 74
surfing, 89, 171, 204, 211.
See also kitesurfing
switch
control of Master, 185–87, 189, 192, 200
of Navy SEALs, 11–12, 14–17, 20, 25–27, 105, 138, 210
Sydney Opera House (Australia): Jones art at, 143
synergy Strike Force, MIT, 166
synthetic drugs, 132–34
Tai, Bill, 171–72, 173
tai chi, 175
talk therapy, 89
Task Force Delta, 190
Tate-LaBianca murders, 67
Teafaerie, 123, 203
technology
and acoustics, 139–40, 147, 149, 150, 152
art and, 142–45, 149, 150, 157